Alabama Legislature Passes Bills Protecting IVF Providers
Two bills protecting IVF providers passed the Alabama House and Senate on Thursday—the latest development in a saga that began when the state’s Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos should be considered children under the law, forcing many providers to suspend service amid fears that they could be sued or prosecuted for causing the “death” of nonviable embryos that result from the normal course of treatment.
The Alabama state Senate passed bill SB159 which would “provide civil and criminal immunity for death or damage to an embryo to any individual or entity when providing or receiving goods or services related to in vitro fertilization."
In the House, lawmakers passed HB237, filed by state Rep. Terri Collins, a Republican, which “would provide civil and criminal immunity to persons providing goods and services related to in vitro fertilization,” excluding intentional acts unrelated to IVF services. It passed by a vote of 94-6.